My company's first Android app. Thoughts? - <AUTHOR> http://lovelydocs.io

<comment><USER2> I wouldn't use it: my phone is too tiny and my china tablet sucks. I think is a good idea for people on the move, though. I currently use my tablet as a portable second screen when I travel. I use a usb share KM app to control it from the laptop and just keep a ssh there, mainly to tail -f logs or debug output (it charges through usb so I don't even need an extra charger and the whole set is compact enough to set up in a coffee table and fit in a laptop bag, plus it takes only 2 of the allowed 10kg handbag when I fly). I could easily see myself reading docs using your app on the next tablet I own every time I'm in a work trip, specially in the very few but still existent cases where online is not an option (even right now the wifi I'm in has a 5-10 second latency on any page I load and that's a pain in the ass when browsing the docs so I'm just using an offline version). That may not be a huge target audience group, but if you make a great product I'm sure you can sell it at a price high enough to make a good profit. Good luck :-)

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks for the feedback! :)

</comment></comment><comment><USER3> It looks very nice but why would I want documentation on my phone/tablet? Documentation like that is something I usually use when trying to find a solution for a very specific problem more than "generic reading" and in that case I will be in front of a PC. Best of luck.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks for the feedback and good wishes. I agree that "generic reading" isn't the usual use case for this particular app. However we've found that a lot of people actually do want a mobile docs browser after their (great) experience with Dash on Mac.

<comment><USER3> I don't know Dash so I can really judge but I am sure they will be happy with this one than.

I find it interesting that you are based in Croatia. How was your experience of setting up the company?

<comment><AUTHOR> Dash: [http://kapeli.com/dash](http://kapeli.com/dash)

Personally, I never had a problem with setting up the company, but I know many who did. Unfortunately, it is after the fact that the troubles start with various conflicting things and bureaucracy. Not panicking tho, every problem is here to be solved :)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER4> Could be useful during a meeting... or doing pair programming, etc.

One nitpick, the aliasing on the website mockups could use some work, I nearly had a seizure when I saw it.

<comment><AUTHOR> Very well aware of it, thank you :)

</comment></comment><comment><USER5> Installed on Nexus 5 and crashed instantly while loading.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thanks for the feedback. We've had a bit of trouble with ProGuard. 1.0.1 is already submitted to Store and waiting approval. Thanks for your patience! :)

<comment><USER5> Updated to 1.0.2 and it works. Even purchased pro version.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thank you - there are still a few things to fix, so please be patient with us! How do you like it so far?</comment></comment></comment></comment>


Chick-fil-A's first UK location to close after pressure from LGBTQ rights group - <AUTHOR> https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/18/chick-fil-as-first-uk-location-will-close-after-pressure-from-lgbtq-rights-group.html <comment><USER3> In the light of the NBA's problems with China some commentators have been puzzled. Why is it that American companies are so concerned with civil rights at home in the US, but don't seem to care at all about human rights in China?

There's really nothing puzzling about it. In each case it is their practice to cower before the biggest bully on the stage. When dealing with China, that bully is China, of course. But in the US domestic market the LGBTQ groups are the biggest bullies.

<comment><USER4> This was a result of an English lgbtq advocacy group pressuring an English shopping center in England. How is it related to the us domestic market aside from being a us based company?

</comment></comment><comment><USER5> Fascinating to see such clear ramifications of allowing religious beliefs to creep into the outcome of successful product expansion. I wonder if they will make any attempt to overcome this image in the future, or instead focus inwardly and try to continue engaging the existing customer base more frequently to pursue growth.

<comment><USER6> > Fascinating to see such clear ramifications of allowing religious beliefs to > creep into the outcome of successful product expansion.

Dicks sporting goods recently took a stand against firearms that raised the ire of some of its customer base. Tons of companies go out of their way to support political messages all the time. I'd say taking moral/political positions is very much a normal tactic these days in the business world.

Time will tell how it pans out, but my guess is that it isn't some sort of disaster. Most people seem apathetic to such messaging and for every person who decides to buy a chicken sandwich from Popeye's instead of Chik-fil-a in order to "fight hate" there will probably be another one or two who go out of their way to eat Chik-fil-a in order to "stick it to the man" or whatever.

I'm just curious when this phenomenon started. Has it always existed? It seems like a straightforward tactic for building brand loyalty (staking out a position on some sort of lifestyle issue).

<comment><USER7> There is a huge moral difference between "I won't sell guns" and "I want the government to discriminate against consenting adults doing something because I personally disapprove"

<comment><USER8> Not as large a difference as you might hope. Replace "guns" with "phones with freely unlockable bootloaders", and "I" with "7/10 manufacturers" (made up statistics, but it's in the ballpark I think). If that 7/10 trends up to 10/10, then their right to control their own devices effectively disappears, even though the government didn't get in the way. I wager those who value the right to bear arms, don't want to wait until they are barely able to buy guns, at a dwindling handful of companies, before taking action.

<comment><USER7> You're really comparing "unlocking bootloaders" to the right for a gay couple to get married, make end of life decisions for each other as the next of kin, be on family insurance, etc?

Trust me, I live in the south. If the chains don't sell guns, there will always be some local shops that will.

<comment><USER8> > You're really comparing "unlocking bootloaders" to the right for a gay > couple to get married...

I'm making a comparison to show you don't need the government to restrict rights - a handful of corporations that control a market can do so just as well. Thinking the government is the only threat to your rights is myopic. The specific activity I chose to illustrate this is utterly besides the point. (Though it is worrying that anyone on this site would think control of your own computer is unimportant.)

> Trust me, I live in the south. If the chains don't sell guns, there will > always be some local shops that will.

It is precisely the passionate pro-2nd-amendment attitude (the same attitude that directed ire towards Dicks) that assures this. To repeat myself - <USER2> don't want to wait till their backs are against a wall, to start pushing back. "Don't worry, you still have N-1 computing devices not locked-down by the manufacturer. N-2. N-3. N-4..."

<comment><USER7> The government can legally take away my property (eminent domain), my liberty by putting me in jail, they can force me to join the military, etc. Corporations have none of those powers.

<comment><USER8> None of that conflicts with what I said.

<comment><USER7> _Thinking the government is the only threat to your rights is myopic._

The government is the only threat to my _legal_ rights. Not made up "rights" that a corporation won't let me do something that I am allowed to do.

What law or part of the constitution says that I have a right to an unlocked phone?

<comment><USER8> > What law or part of the constitution says that I have a right to an unlocked > phone?

Maybe you'll be happier if I call it an "ability", not a "right", since I am not interested in a debate on what rights are.

To answer your question - none. That's what makes it so easy to lose. But do you not see the problem? Suppose _all_ computers, not just phones, become so locked down. Your computing would be completely under the control of a handful of giant corporations - all without any legal right getting infringed.

Of course I don't need hypotheticals. Lets look at another example: Before the Civil Rights act, no rights were being infringed on by segregated businesses either, and people were free to choose non-segregated businesses. The government wasn't stopping anyone - yet it was still a problem.

> The government is the only threat to my legal rights.

If 100% of the phones on the market automatically censored mentions of Tiananmen Square, are your legal rights still not under threat? It doesn't matter if you're able to exercise your rights, as long as you _have_ them?

The Civil Rights act doesn't cover sexual orientation, so in many states, you can still be fired for being gay. Hypothetically, if 10% of businesses refused to hire gays, would your answer still be "The government is the only threat to their legal rights"? What if it was 50%? 90%? 100%? How high would you let that % go before acting?

<comment><USER9> > you can still be fired for being gay. Hypothetically, if 10% of businesses > refused to hire gays, would your answer still be "The government is the only > threat to their legal rights"? What if it was 50%? 90%? 100%?

In the Federalist papers, James Madison famously said that it wasn't enough for a government to protect its people from the tyranny of a central authority (e.g., a king), a government must also protect various groups from tyrannizing each other.</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment>


Pete Rates the Propositions [ California election ] - <AUTHOR> http://www.peterates.com/

<comment><AUTHOR> Why submit this? I stumbled on Pete's site yesterday, because he managed to hack the California's voter guide. He didn't break into their web site: instead, he was the only one who bothered to submit an argument against 1F. Apparently the window for submitting arguments was just 1 day, in an effort to lock out ordinary citizens. Pete faxed in his argument, so they had to print it.</comment>


The promise of AI in audio processing - <AUTHOR> https://towardsdatascience.com/the-promise-of-ai-in-audio-processing-a7e4996eb2ca <comment><AUTHOR> Third and final article doesn't appear to be linked from the others but is online. [https://towardsdatascience.com/human-like-machine-hearing- wi...](https://towardsdatascience.com/human-like-machine-hearing-with- ai-3-3-fd6238426416)</comment>


Grandpa's iPad - <AUTHOR> http://shawnblanc.net/2014/01/grandpas-ipad/

<comment><AUTHOR> To quote John Gruber on this post:

"With so many people using their iPads as their primary cameras, I really hope Apple can figure out a way to get the same camera used in the top-of-the-line iPhone into the same model year's new iPads. And I worry about how someone like Blanc's grandfather is backing up those photos."[1]

[1] [http://daringfireball.net/linked/2014/01/27/grandpa- ipad](http://daringfireball.net/linked/2014/01/27/grandpa-ipad)

<comment><USER2> Or perhaps a hardware hacker could create some sort of attachment for the iPad to take photos. That could be very cool, the large screen to make composing and framing easier, but a better lens and sensor to make the photo quality on par with a regular camera.

<comment><USER3> Sony make the QX10, it's basically a digital camera without a screen.

It communicates via Wi-Fi with android and IOS devices for display and control.

It has a clip to attach it to the display device, or it can be operated remotely anywhere within wi-fi range.</comment></comment></comment>


Ask YC: Using Employee Stock Purchase plans to cover short positions? - <AUTHOR>

Can individual companies enable this sort of behavior legally? Is this more of a technical or ethical question?<p>Edit: this sort of behavior: short selling your own stock <comment><AUTHOR> Follow up - theoretically, if I thought my employer's stock was going to go down but wasn't privy to nonpublic info, could I put on a short position to lock in gains or ride out a dip? Or is just working for that co enough to make that illegal?

</comment><comment><USER2> Talk to a lawyer; but I'm pretty sure that using employee owned stock as collateral for covering a short position is illegal.

</comment><comment><USER3> i _think_ this is more an ethical decision. however, if i were an employee and my company offered me stock options instead of a check, i'd be looking for a new job.</comment>


How I built and launched my first product PicMosMe - <AUTHOR> http://blog.ajhais.com/2012/06/my-first-entrepreneurial-experiment/

<comment><USER2> Cool project and wonderful writeup. Please, don't let the code die. Try to open source it. That way at least, some one would learn something from your effort would be more worth. Or someone might just take the project to a next level.</comment>


When Do You Throw in the Towel On Your Struggling Project? - <AUTHOR> http://viniciusvacanti.com/2011/12/12/when-do-you-throw-in-the-towel-on-your-struggling-project/ <comment><USER2> Seth Godin wrote a great book on this exact question. How to know when you should push through the dip and when you should decide to quit. It's an insightful read:

[http://www.amazon.com/Dip-Little-Book-Teaches- Stick/dp/15918...](http://www.amazon.com/Dip-Little-Book-Teaches- Stick/dp/1591841666/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323703786&sr=8-1)

</comment><comment><USER3> I still wonder if AirBnB would have made it through the trough of sorrow following this model.

Regardless, a great framework to consider. Startups can drag on indefinitely and we should consider the opportunity cost of hanging on to a single project. It's okay to move on, and it's okay to fail.

</comment><comment><USER4> I think a big thing is to be able to see growth. If you have 100 customers last month, and increased to 150 this month, even if you are only charging $10/mo, at least you are seeing that it'll take you X more months to hit decent revenue

If on the other hand, your whole future planning is based on some huge event that'll make you, then you need to think long and hard on whether or not it's likely to happen. If it's been 6 months, and you've done everything in your power to make that happen with no results...then it's probably best to throw in the towel, since it's unlikely that it'll actually happen

<comment><USER5> that's quite a contradictory advice upon which companies like Wufoo ([http://mixergy.com/wufoo-sold-for-35-mil-heres-the-story- beh...](http://mixergy.com/wufoo-sold-for-35-mil-heres-the-story-behind-its- success/)) and Rovio (several years trying before angry birds) should've died prematurely :-)

</comment></comment><comment><USER6> If what you built is a consumer product, and accessible to friends and family - then you know you need to move on when friends after being coaxed into using your product still don't give a damn.</comment>


Do women face a reputational bias when they co-author? - <AUTHOR> http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2015/11/do-women-face-a-reputational-bias-when-they-co-author.html <comment><USER2> I notice that Sarsons's paper says on the very first page:

"NOTE: Very preliminary – please do not cite without permission. Comments welcome."

I wonder if Cowen sought permission or just ignored that sentence? I am aware that linking to something from a blog isn't exactly the same as citing it (presumably Sarsons is trying to discourage citations in other papers), but Cowen could have mentioned, but didn't mention, the preliminary nature of the paper when quoting the abstract.

</comment><comment><USER3> Lots of assuming going on here:

>"The majority of schools require faculty to apply for tenure after 7 years. I consider one year before and after the 7th year to account for people who go up for tenure early or late because of a leave of absence, for example. I put universities into bins of 3 based on their ranking and assume that an individual is denied tenure if that person moves to a lower-ranked university group after 6-8 years. For example, a person who moves from Harvard to MIT after 6 years is not assumed to have been denied tenure since he moves within the same bin of schools. Someone who moves from Harvard to UCLA after 6 years is assumed to have been denied tenure since he moves to a lower group of schools. As another example, a person who moves 5 or fewer years after his initial appointment is not assumed to have been denied tenure since he moved before the tenure window (years 6 through 8 at an institution) starts."

Arbitrary binning of universities, using a change in employer as a proxy for getting tenure, using number of papers published as a measure of productivity, fitting lines to a relationship that does not appear linear (and in fact cannot be linear since fraction getting tenure must be in the range 0-1).

This issue may exist, but I don't think this analysis is capable of producing anything convincing.

<comment><USER4> These types of arguments should be made by peer reviewers. Addressing these makes the paper (and research) stronger.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of internal corruption in academia, which makes this feedback ineffective. If you apply for a grant, you already have to outline results of our research. Heather Sarsons, the author, is a doctoral fellow in the "Inequality and Social Policy program". She is paid to find inequality. If she won't find any, she would be unsuccessful. The same holds for colleagues--who actually do peer review. They are on the same ship.

It's not a critique of this work, but the overall climate in academia. About 80% of papers in health science was found to be unreproducible. Guess why.

<comment><USER5> To bolster your comment, let me add that Economics as a field is particularly corrupt with regards to how much the reputation of your institution counts for jobs/publications. For example, the leading journal of economics that is "Quarterly Journal of Economics" has 50% of it's articles only from Harvard and MIT. That means 2 schools out of the hundreds who do economics dominate the leading journal. Although Harvard+MIT are good, by no means are they THAT much better over Stanford, Berkeley, Princeton etc. It is obvious that the reviewers are accepting their own people (QJE is a Harvard journal) over other people.

The comparable figure for Physics is something like the top 100-odd schools produce the half of the research. That seems like a much fairer distribution.

Take the inherent fuzziness of social science research, compound it with prestige gaming, compound with the impossibility of reporting a negative result, and what you get is shoddy research.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> I'm a (male) PhD student at Caltech, and didn't really believe gender bias was prevalent in academia till I spoke with female friends and learned about the kind of problems they faced. Believe me people, the problem is real.

<comment><USER7> In what field are you? From my experience in a business school, there is a lot of pressure now to have more woman and minorities as faculty. For instance, this is a task I recently got asked to do:

\</comment></comment><comment></comment><comment></comment><comment></comment><comment></comment><comment>--

Hi _____,

_ __* __ __said that you can help me collect some data for the finance hiring committee. Here is what I need.

Attached is an excel spreadsheet with a list of business schools. Please go to each business school's website, and look up the finance department/area/group, and count the # of assistant professors in that group. In addition, please note the name of any assistant professor who is female or African-American, and the year of PhD if available. I hope you can complete this task by _____. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best regards,

_ __*

\</comment><comment></comment><comment></comment><comment></comment><comment></comment><comment>--

Interestingly (in a sad way), I couldn't find any African American assistant professor professor in the list of ~100 schools I got for that field (although I did find "African Africans" and "African Europeans" or whatever you call being black and not American).

<comment><USER8> > Interestingly (in a sad way), I couldn't find any African American assistant > professor professor in the list of ~100 schools I got for that field > (although I did find "African Africans" and "African Europeans" or whatever > you call being black and not American).

That leads to a question not often discussed. I have seen in other places too that black people that are from outside US fare better in US than African- Americans. Is there a point in which the years lived under systemic racism have side effects of learned helplessness that amplify and perpetuate the initial problem?

<comment><USER9> I think it is more likely to be the result of approaching things with an outsiders perspective. This gives you the ability to avoid problems insiders assume are unavoidable.

<comment><USER10> > problems insiders assume are unavoidable

Isn't that one aspect of learned helplessness?

<comment><USER9> Not quite. There is a difference between assuming you can't do anything about the situation and giving up.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER11> Now, I don't know, but my impression is that the appearance of confidence (by which I mean the things _associated_ with confidence, like being tall, speaking in a loud voice, being a guy, having a higher level of social competence, etc...) have a lot to do with how much credit you get for doing a thing when it is obvious that credit is being shared.

I mean, that's just my impression, not a study or anything... but it is something I observe, and it's _weird_ because my own bias is to assume that the less confident or less socially competent person did most of the work.</comment>


Google Isn't Just Reading Your Links, It's Now Running Your Code - <AUTHOR> http://blogs.forbes.com/velocity/2010/06/25/google-isnt-just-reading-your-links-its-now-running-your-code/

<comment><USER2> To be fair, while the halting problem could come into play here, it really shouldn't in practice. When Google is running the code there shouldn't really be a functional difference between a script which takes 20 seconds to run and one which takes forever -- kill the process either way.

<comment><USER3> a Turing machine has an infinite tape. a typical computer has finite memory. therefore, it's tape is upper bounded by a constant function. this is a kind of linear bounded automata: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_bounded_automata>

linear bounded automata don't have a halting problem. it's perfectly decidable. this doesn't detract from the fact it may take a long time to decide, but it is a far easier problem than halting on a TM.

<comment><USER4> The Javascript spec probably doesn't specify a fixed memory limit, so limiting the space arbitrarily to X mb is not that different from limiting the time arbitrarily to Y s.

<comment><USER5> Except verifying termination with a bound in the seconds of computation can be done in O(n), where n is the maximum number of seconds allowed (you can see that trivially by just waiting n seconds and killing the program if it doesn't terminate). On the other hand, if you try to limit a program's memory usage, it can take up to O(2^n) time to detect that a program with budget of n bits terminates (it might seem easier than that, but the program can go into an infinite loop without overflowing memory, like "while (1) {}"). You must consider that such a program can never have more than one state for each possible configuration of its allowed memory space (which is 2^n) and you can tell that it is in and infinite loop only when it repeats a previously used state. To do that correctly, then, takes a long time.

Incidentally, this is why PSPACE (the class of decision problem decidable in a turing machine with polynomially limited space) seems a lot more powerful than P (the set of decision problems decidable using a polynomial amount of time).

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> Yeah google has been following my javascript obfuscated links for quite some time now.

It's actually a tad annoying because there's no way to do a "nofollow" in javascript.

<comment><USER7> I just hope they don't start caching and displaying obfuscated links, since JavaScript obfuscation is how I currently manage to display a working mailto: link on my personal web page while simultaneously giving myself nominal protection from address harvesters. Is this no longer a viable strategy for protecting one's email address on the web?

<comment><USER8> To the extent that it ever worked, it still works - Google doesn't index mailto: links.

<comment><USER9> Do you know that for a fact? Just because something's not publically available doesn't mean it's not in the back-end.

<comment><USER8> I don't know whether or not they are in Google's data center somewhere; but to the best of my knowledge, they cannot be extracted from that data center, which means it's largely irrelevant as far as spam is concerned.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> Now you know what V8 is _really_ for.

</comment><comment><USER11> You know when programmers write blog posts about business and finance? I wonder if finance people cringe at those as much as we did while reading that.

</comment><comment><USER12> "--- it's quite the accomplishment."

There is a severe technical misunderstanding here.

</comment><comment><USER13> V8, Chrome, and the Developer Tools do run my code, just when _I_ ask it to. Guess it makes sense Google is asking it to too.

So what, they must be able to query and manipulate the dom, only after Javascript has run.

jsdom -- DOM in Javascript (V8 via Node.js) -- is a nice little hack and mind bender. Why can't the document be a javascript object that you manipulate??

Javascript all the way down. and up.

</comment><comment><USER14> Wouldn't it be interesting if google tried to run all the code snippets and full applications found on the web and tried to automatically figure out what they do?

Maybe that would be the first step to automated programming?</comment>


AppGratis pulled from app store by Apple - <AUTHOR> http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/AppGratis+news/news.asp?c=49904

<comment><AUTHOR> I was so tempted to headline this 'Persona non AppGratis'</comment>


Show HN: Creating a simple file system for Windows - <AUTHOR> https://github.com/billziss-gh/winfsp/wiki/WinFsp-Tutorial <comment><AUTHOR> I am the author of WinFsp. Please let me know if you have any questions.

<comment><USER2> I assume this has to be done in C/C++? Is there any way to implement a C# wrapper?

<comment><AUTHOR> Of course. I can see a couple of ways that this can happen:

\- P/Invoke. \- Recompiling the library in C++/CLI mode.

<comment><USER2> Interesting, I didn't think of the obvious!. I may well give this a try.</comment></comment></comment></comment>


Show HN: Bubblin – Next-generation books - <AUTHOR> https://bubbl.in <comment><USER3> I love it, however I have some suggestions:

1\. Please, please use the metric system units or at least add both the imperial and the metric when you explain something. For example the Earth's rotation is in mph...you can at least say: 1000mph (1,674.4km/h).

2\. On the Sun's chapter, you drew it yellow. Well, this is a common misconception, however the Sun is essentially all colors mixed together, which appear to our eyes as white.

3\. There are too many links that forces the reader to constantly deviate from what he reads, thus killing the experience. You can come up with something similar to Apple's "look up" functionality [1]

4\. No love for Pluto :(

[1][http://i.imgur.com/CWgjdCU.png](http://i.imgur.com/CWgjdCU.png)

<comment><USER4> > 1000mph (1,674.4km/h)

Could we all agree to use a space (or nothing) as the separator for thousands? In French culture this is read as less than 2 km/h.

<comment><USER5> I would expect a book written in French to follow French conventions, unfortunately, in English (American), a space would read as very confusing!

<comment><USER6> The space is actually recommended by international scientific convention (as it is the least confusing option) and also required if you follow the (American) AMA style.

<comment><USER7> It's a next generation book, it should understand my locale and translate units automatically. How about that?

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER8> First, I love the concept. I've often been reading interesting books and wished I could dynamically jump through them. I've even wanted to do this in fiction -- for example, if characters reference something I forgot about, I wish I could just click that and go back to that original chapter/scene and refresh my memory.

I suspect that any UI awkwardness will be growing pains caused by it being a new idea for books.

Technical Issue

1\. I click a planet expecting to go to a chapter about that planet (say, Saturn), but nothing happens despite the page reloading and the address bar changing to #saturn. Chrome 43 on OS X 10.10.

Content Issues

1\. I love the animated cover, but it wish it had relatively accurate orbits and periods (within reason). One of the coolest things for me as a kid was realizing that Pluto and Neptune switch places.

2\. The summary for the book says "all ages," but very shortly in you have a bunch of math and symbols that don't make sense unless you've already had geometry.

3\. The homepage presents Bubblin as "for developers," which doesn't seem to fit. Do you want authors to present books (as suggested by your own), or do you want developers to use it to present stuff (documentation, use cases, white papers?) about development? It's also at odds with your statement "Meanwhile, to those who are unhappy about the idea of having books with flipping animation on the browser, here's a little tip: A lot of kids, especially my nephews, love it," so I feel like there's a little bit of confusion about the audience. :)

A nice idea/platform! I just wish I had something to use it for.

<comment><AUTHOR> > The homepage presents Bubblin as "for developers," which doesn't seem to > fit.

Fixed and deployed.

It's an authoring platform for superbooks. The zing here is that authors can write HTML, CSS and JavaScript to produce the pages of their book. Hence the term _developers_ is used interchangeably.

</comment></comment><comment><USER9> I thought the solar system book was incredible and I am going to talk to my wife about using it as a home school resource. I would definitely love to see more materials show up that are like this. It would be great to have some options for turning things on and off, like page flipping, removing some of the higher level math as it might throw off younger students, and it would be great to have a lock-in mode.

The lock-in mode would be a parental control that keeps a child from going to other sites, so that I could set my kid loose on a book and know they aren't playing video games.

While I acknowledge that other platforms make e-books and interactive books, I love that you are making a centralized location on the web for the creation and curation of these resources.

<comment><AUTHOR> Thank you @tenpoundhammer, I'm glad you like it! :-)

I feel almost every book out there can be re-written to bring impactful visual/substance that's possible only because of the web. There can be cute books written with toddlers on the mind, easy-to-read books for younger children and good college books that explain the fundamentals to adults like children.

Let me know if your wife likes it (although this demo book is slightly for a more senior group, above 10th grade) I'll be happy to do something for toddlers and middle school too! Hit me on email@example.com :-)

<comment><USER9> I read the material, and a good portion of it appears to be at a much lower level than 10th grade, but the mathmatical portion appears to be high school level if you stripped a few pieces of this book you would have something around 4-5th grade level ish.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> Fantastic stuff! Truly novel reading experience.

The biggest challenge for you to build tools around this. Expecting writers to know basic web development is a huge ask. You need a tool like Adobe Indesign [1] or Amazon's Kindle book publishing tools[2]. The second challenge is to go cross platform/device. The biggest challenge here, to reduce the size of the entire artifact book and not just rendering speed/quality.

[1][http://blogs.adobe.com/creativecloud/publishing-for- everyone...](http://blogs.adobe.com/creativecloud/publishing-for-everyone/)

[2] [https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A3IWA2TQYMZ5J6](https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A3IWA2TQYMZ5J6)

<comment><USER11> Doesn't iBooks Author already provide a platform to develop interactive books? [https://www.apple.com/ibooks-author/](https://www.apple.com/ibooks-author/)

<comment><USER10> Yes it does. Missed it. But obviously gets restricted to an Apple only platform.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER12> Very cool!

On page 17 of the Solar System book I want to rotate the globe but can't manage to do that without also initiating a page flip, which is pretty annoying.

Also, the formula rendering on page 21 is not quite right (Firefox).

<comment><AUTHOR> Touch it very lightly, like a feather. Or hold it strongly and then roll it along with the page, then take your fingers off. It should work. That it is curling up _is_ the expected behavior so you're just fine there!

Mathjax is loading/rendering a bit incorrectly on FF, for we're hammered right now. Will fix!

<comment><USER13> Yeah, equations seem to be completely broken on Firefox. Is there a reason you use Mathjax?

Personally, I prefer using LaTeX -> PDF -> SVG and simply including them as images. Nothing's going to break with that, I guess.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER14> What's the purpose of emulating a physical book?

<comment><USER15> "Let's move forward, by moving backwards!"

The web is already a document system.

It doesn't need to be skeuomorphically constrained into a 'book' with cute page turning animations, and no ability to use a scroll wheel, shift-space to go back (looks like `space` is hardcoded in his script, but only works half the time), or any of the features you already have in a browser. (I wonder how accessible it is in a Screen Reader, too.)

</comment></comment><comment><USER16> From the contents page, if i click on say page 22, it opens in a new tab and pops up saying 'you left off on page 13', then has the options to go back to page 13 or the beginning. It isn't obvious that to actually get to 22 I need to close that window, and im not sure why it has to open a new tab rather than just go to that page?

</comment><comment><USER17> I wish there was a light markup language for this kind of work. Something like: markdown + a less verbose SVG for static illustrations + elm for the interactive part

</comment><comment><USER18> I don't really get it. This is an interface inside an interface with its own custom behaviors and just a few pages in I get to the TOC, click a page and I'm presented with a popup that tries its best to confuse me. Yes, the animations are cute and stuff, but really: why do I want another reader- within-the-browser book reader? There's already good reason I don't use the ones that came before it.

</comment><comment><USER19> Forcing me to click around 3+ times to even find out what this is about makes me regret clicking on the link. I suspect if I were the average user I would have clicked back on the landing page.

</comment><comment><USER20> this will be really cool once we can get physical books like these. which i doubt is that far away. it will be all the future we were promised.

<comment><USER21> I agree. The true next generation book will feel, look, and function just like a book. Resolution will be perfect, no eye strain, full color. Just like looking at a magazine.

</comment></comment><comment><USER22> Gorgeous!

</comment><comment><AUTHOR> Hello, Hacker News!

My name is Marvin (see: [https://marvindanig.com/](https://marvindanig.com/)), and I just released the first version of Bubblin, my project for superbooks. [https://bubbl.in/](https://bubbl.in/).

Bubblin is all about gorgeous e-books that are possible simply because of the web. You can use it like codepen (a code playground) to write the pages of your book, and publish it like a blog. It can be a lot of fun, I mean _serious_ fun, to do stories/book via code.

For example, I wrote this ~full book on The Solar System:

[https://bubbl.in/cover/the-solar-system-by-marvin- danig](https://bubbl.in/cover/the-solar-system-by-marvin-danig)

... which was supposed to be a small demo initially. I'd initially planned for only 10-15 pages but I ended up writing the whole book instead!

All the code of this superbook is available on Github under MIT license if you want to play:

[https://github.com/bubblin/The-Solar-System](https://github.com/bubblin/The- Solar-System)

Bubblin is pretty basic as of now, but it has a great feel to it. I expect the books to work silky on iPads/tablets but given it's a web approach support is sorta _okayish_ on most platforms - mobile or desktop. I'm not too worried about it right now, but I would love some help/advise on making it omnipresent on any and every device in the world.

I hope you like the project. Good/bad whichever way, help me with your feedback and ideas please!

Yo! - <USER2>

Edits: Edited links, 'coz no markdown on HN :(

<comment><USER23> It looks great and I love the concept. Does it support epub format? If this is possible it is easy to write markdown on leanpub (export to epub format) and use bubbl.in for the perfect examples in javascript which would be a killer combination.

</comment></comment><comment><USER24> Wow did we already forget all the lessons from years of developers abusing UIs with Flash?</comment>


"Complaining" about peace - <AUTHOR> http://igbarb19.wordpress.com/2008/12/20/complaining-about-peace/ <comment><USER2> "In Italy, for 30 years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed, they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock." -- Orson Welles</comment>


Ketamine: From Party Drug to Prescription Medicine - <AUTHOR> https://www.cugmhp.org/2019/03/15/ketamine-from-party-drug-to-prescription-medicine/ <comment><USER2> The suggested price of these treatments is absurd. "And then there is the cost. It is unclear what insurance companies will cover and treatment estimates are in the vicinity of $7,000 per month."

Its been awhile but Im fairly confident this drug doesnt cost anywhere near that price.

<comment><USER3> Even worse is are the conditions for being prescribed. First you have to have failed 5 previous medications but still be taking one. The dosages are delivered only to your psychiatrist. You have to have it injected there and then you have to wait 2 hours and are not permitted to drive for 24 hours. And that's for the several injections per week...

So not only will the drug be expensive but you're going to be charged a doctors visit every time AND you'll have to figure out how to get off from work for hours each week.

Seems a lot easier to go down to the local high school and buy a bag of K.

<comment><USER4> My girlfriend did ketamine treatments and her's were once a week for four weeks with a break period in between(don't remember the exact length of the break), where are you seeing the several injections per week number?

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER5> Reminds me of the research now starting around MDMA as a cure for tinnitus (ringing in the ears) [1]. Lots of people who use the drug have self reported a reduction in the ringing they hear. It'd be real interesting if this eventually led to it being a prescription medicine too.

[1] [http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9806851/Party-drug-link- to-t...](http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9806851/Party-drug-link-to-tinnitus- cure)

<comment><USER6> I cured my stress and tinnitus so loud I could hardly hear and sleep with my own homemade Changa (dmt+hamalas) with one trip. Most amazing drug ever... and I did them all ;)

<comment><USER7> Oh man I have mild tinnitus and wish for a cure, but psychedelics are intimidating to me. I feel like if I was 5 years younger I would dive right in but I don't know if I could do it now a days.

<comment><USER8> I recommend How to Change Your Mind. [https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Mind- Consciousness-Transc...](https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Mind- Consciousness-Transcendence-ebook/dp/B076GPJXWZ)

The author has a great Joe Rogan interview: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz4CrWE_P0g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz4CrWE_P0g)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER9> ... and people wonder why users turn to black markets. It costs, what, $40 on the street for a bunch?

</comment><comment><USER10> I use 10% Ketamine topical cream for nerve pain. It's the business. Irritating it isn't covered by insurance as the research is favorable.

<comment><USER11> I've got some nerve issues and would be interested in trying this -- how did you get a hold of the cream?

<comment><USER12> There is very little evidence that these creams work.[1]

Just one example...

 _CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that KA cream does not decrease CIPN symptoms in cancer survivors._

[1][https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24531792/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24531792/)

<comment><USER11> Interesting.

GP seems to say that it worked wonders for them, so I'm still interested in trying it.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> Plug: new subreddit for this, [https://www.reddit.com/r/spravato](https://www.reddit.com/r/spravato). Has an AMA from someone who was part of the trial.

Right now it's hard to find a treatment center participating in the REMS, but spravato.com should have a locator tool up later this month.

</comment><comment><USER14> I was considering this to aid my depression/bipolar but the prices just don't make it worth it if it only provides up to months of benefit. I could see doing it at around $800-1200 total for the 6 shots, not per shot.

<comment><USER15> I have a fair amount of familiarity with Ketamine infusion clinics in the Chicago area. Prices seem to be $400-600 per treatment. They like people to go 3-6 times in the first two weeks, and then way less frequently after that.

It has been a godsend for my family.

<comment><USER14> What places? I am going to a clinic out in NW burbs called Chicago Pain and Wellness. (If I do it that is)

<comment><USER15> We tried that one and didn't really like it, this one has been excellent: [https://www.optketamine.com/](https://www.optketamine.com/)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER16> This is something that I'd try if it wasn't cost prohibited. But no, I'm stuck on benzos forever. At least they are cheap and they work OK I suppose.

<comment><USER17> As someone who has gone down that road (and managed to get off), I can't emphasize enough how important it is to not take those drugs forever.

It simply isn't possible, at some point your tolerance will become so high you will be forced to find something else. The withdrawals from benzodiazapenes are some of the worst of any drug and will require medical intervention in order to keep your seizure threshold properly regulated.

The Ashton Method has worked miracles for many including myself.

[https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha02.htm](https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha02.htm)

It is hard to find a doctor who will support you with that treatment, but I went through it and am successfully benzo free now.

<comment><USER18> I don't want to downplay it too much (I've seen my grandmother go through benzodiazapine withdrawal, and it took the best part of a year IIRC), but I would add withdrawal is highly personal. I've quit drugs that I was told (by my consultant) that would be "worse than quitting heroin" and stopped cold turkey, and didn't feel a thing. I also now take regularly take benzodiazapines, and can stop taking them during good periods without any noticeable effects (which has the bonus of limiting my tolerance increase).

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER19> Slate Star Codex had a good post about this: [https://slatestarcodex.com/2019/03/11/ketamine-now-by- prescr...](https://slatestarcodex.com/2019/03/11/ketamine-now-by- prescription/)

</comment><comment><USER20> Is Ketamine really a party drug? I've no experience but i thought the effect is more like you sit somewhere and won't stand up for a while...

<comment><USER21> In my scene, it's the drug of choice. I've never really understand why but so it goes

<comment><USER22> Psy-trance?

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER23> Oh look, the perennial 'ketamine as a novel treatment for depression' article.

</comment><comment><USER24> hmm, it'll be interesting to see the prescribing guidelines for this.

Ketamine is not really designed for long term repeated use, mainly because it shrinks your bladder.([https://www.nhs.uk/news/mental-health/experts-call-for- ketam...](https://www.nhs.uk/news/mental-health/experts-call-for-ketamine-to- be-upgraded-to-class-b/))

The NHS has been doing basic research since at least 2014: [https://www.nhs.uk/news/mental-health/ketamine-tested-as- sev...](https://www.nhs.uk/news/mental-health/ketamine-tested-as-severe- depression-treatment/)

If it is approved, it certainly won't be Esketamine thats used.

<comment><USER13> Esketamine was approved by the FDA two weeks ago, here are the prescribing guidelines: [http://www.janssenlabels.com/package-insert/product- monograp...](http://www.janssenlabels.com/package-insert/product- monograph/prescribing-information/SPRAVATO-pi.pdf)

</comment></comment><comment><USER25> then there was MXE...

<comment><USER26> 2f-dck is my grail currently for a ket-a-like

</comment></comment><comment><USER27> AI is on the way to create cheaper alternatives for medication. Recreational or therapeutic use? It'll take the middleman out of the price. it'll be cheap as chewing gum. My guess.

<comment><USER28> AI doesn't solve the underlying issue that made ketamine depression treatment expensive: intellectual property rights on a particular molecule.

If a company achieved AI that can identify effective alternatives, why wouldn't they just acquire the patents for all of those alternatives and prop up all the prices?

<comment><USER29> There will be AIs to obscure other AIs work and AIs to clarify the obscured work. The rat race will never end</comment></comment></comment>


Are Apple selling harmful addictive substances to children? - <AUTHOR> http://blog.appapp.io/post/149132941850/are-apple-selling-harmful-addictive-substances-to <comment><USER2> Is* Apple</comment>


Teens seeking snow-shoveling jobs told to stop by Bound Brook police - <AUTHOR> http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/local/new-jersey/2015/01/28/teens-seeking-snow-shoveling-jobs-told-stop-bound-brook-police/22473715/ <comment><USER2> > Despite the rule, however, Police Chief Michael Jannone said the two young > businessmen were not arrested or issued a ticket, and that the police's > concern was about them being outside during dangerous conditions, not that > they were unlicensed.

So basically everything said before that line was a bold-faced lie.</comment>


A Tennis Court That Will Cost $210 an Hour  - <AUTHOR> http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703559504575631013495344680.html?mod=WSJ_hps_sections_newyork

<comment><USER2> Maybe I'm just being Mr Grumpy today, but I really don't see why this is:

        On-Topic: ... anything that gratifies one's intellectual curiosity.

If anyone would care to enlighten me I'd be interested. It seems to me to have nothing to do with hackers specifically, or entrepreneurs specifically, or particularly of intellectual interest at all.</comment>


Lilli, the German Adult-Themed Cartoon Character Who Became the Barbie Doll - <AUTHOR> http://www.messynessychic.com/2016/01/29/meet-lilli-the-high-end-german-call-girl-who-became-americas-iconic-barbie-doll/ <comment><USER2> In defence of Barbie, that waist is at least partially utilitarian. It's there to hold the cloths on. Dresses would fall off a more human figure as soon as the kid turned it upside down. It's an answer to the interesting design challenge of trying to scale clothing down to doll proportions without resorting to paper-thin microcloth.

<comment><USER3> Also, the argument that Barbie isn't realistic doesn't make much sense. We exaggerate almost everything for kids to make it easier for them to understand. E.g. moms speak to their kids in what academics call 'motherese', to make it easier for them to pick up on the syllables. Kids get dressed in gaudy colors that would look ridiculous on adults. And they get fed foods with super exaggerated flavor profiles, e.g. ketchup. All of this is because children's senses are still developing.

So I don't see why it's surprising that popular children's toys would represent sort of the platonic ideal of the human form. In reality most people's calves and hips do flare out to some extent, so it makes sense that those sorts of features would be accentuated when reduced to toy form.

<comment><USER4> Agree on your points about exaggerated stuff for kids, but...

> And they get fed foods with super exaggerated flavor profiles, e.g. ketchup

What? Since when is ketchup a kids food? That's a pretty widely popular condiment among all ages.

<comment><USER5> Most people whose eating habits I've observed over a long period (i.e. my family) use it much less as adults than they did as children. When I was young I dutifully glopped it onto all the traditional foods. Now it seems kind of gross: cloying sweetness with a hint of tomato sauce, and it kind of smells like cough syrup. Sweet is fine, and tomato sauce is fine, in the right dish. Neither of those flavors are appealing straight out of a medicine bottle. All the kids I know consume mass quantities, but most adults have more sophisticated taste.

<comment><USER4> Kids use it more sure, but most adults still eat ketchup, just on certain dishes like fries for example. That children over do something doesn't make it a child's food.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER6> "Call Girl" appears to be a complete fabrication. Gold digger? Sure. Sex worker? Hardly. None of the cartoons indicate that Lilli is a prostitute. Even the Wikipedia page says she's a secretary.

<comment><USER7> Ok, we replaced "High-end German Call Girl" with "German cartoon character", which seems factual enough. If anyone can suggest a better (i.e. more accurate and neutral) title, we can change it again.

<comment><USER8> I'd call it a "German adult themed cartoon character" or similar.

The story used to be notable because it's a bit bizarre that a popular kid's toy was a carbon copy of a highly sexual cartoon character aimed at adults.

If a popular kid's toy were merely a carbon copy of an existing German cartoon character, alone, it would not really be notable at all.

I appreciate the sensitivity around putting labels on the character, especially on a professional setting such as HN, but it's a detail important to the story.

<comment><USER9> Maybe and maybe not. Many cartoons' were made for an adult audience even if now they are watched by children. This is also seen in movies like Shrek. They have a two pronged approach at one level they are childish but at another they are adult-themed.

This one is not that different from Betty Boop. Many movies and cartoons had both childish and adult themes intermixed before the Hayes moral code kicked in.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> A comment thread where they translate some of the comics -

[http://mysticwicks.com/archive/index.php/t-102222.html](http://mysticwicks.com/archive/index.php/t-102222.html)

</comment><comment><USER11> So, basically, Mattel owes a large part of its fortune to the non-existence of IP laws?

<comment><USER12> The article states that Mattel bought the rights to the doll.

<comment><USER11> _debuted Barbie at the New York toy fair on March 9, 1959_

 _acquired the rights to Bild Lilli in 1964_

<comment><USER13> I'm not sure IP laws stop you making a doll that looks a bit like another doll.

<comment><USER14> There was that Mattel lawsuit over the 'Bratz' doll rights. It resulted in a huge judgement that was later overturned, IIRC.

EDIT: I suppose I should mention that there were some issues resulting from the guy who made them changing jobs as well, but still, it's not too far outside that realm.

<comment><USER13> I think Mattel vs Bratz was mostly about the Bratz guy having been employed by Mattel when he had the idea rather than Bratz being similar to other dolls.

<comment><USER14> You're right, but it wouldn't have happened but for the idea that you can own ideas about dolls in the first place (i.e. I believe it was related to IP assignment clauses in the contract).

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER2> Wow. Anyone who thinks Barbie isn't the best role model, or that she pushes an unrealistic image on young girls, read this link I found at the bottom of the OP.

[http://www.messynessychic.com/2012/10/26/the-little- barbie-t...](http://www.messynessychic.com/2012/10/26/the-little-barbie-that- grew-breasts/)

<comment><USER15> Like everything else, Barbie has evolved. There's a new Barbie line called Careers which includes Barbie as a startup founder, doctor, teacher, opthamologist, engineer, and even president. Barbie Careers dolls aren't all caucasian either.

[http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search- alias%3D...](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dtoys- and-games&field-keywords=barbie+careers)

<comment><USER16> I cant see this as evolution, because its still going on the same direction, only more adequated to the modern times.

It still force's the goal of beauty, success, fame, prestige, money.. far from the reality of life of most people in the world. There isnt a "chubby barbie" for instance.. its natural in kids to be happy with whatever/whoever they are, thats whats awesome in kids.

The only way to advance, evolve in this matter, is propably a reality where kids dont care about barbie anymore, and instead of impossible role models, they would choose something else, probably something where they are the ones creating and doing stuff, and not a external role-model of what they are supposed to be when they grow up, that can be the cause of a lot of frustration and impossibility to have a dialetic relation with their own reality, and try to improve it as a result.

<comment><USER2> Except that when you talk to young people these days Barbie really is the dream. Ask the average highschool student whether they would rather be a doctor or an American Idol winner, astronaut or covergirl. The last study I read listed "paris hilton's personal assistant" over being state governor. For boys, sitcom actor now trumps fighter pilot. Becoming barbie/ken is their american dream.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER17> Does anyone else get an icky feeling from looking at cartoons from a late-1940s German newspaper? Entertainment for people of a country that only 5 years ago at the time was ushering millions into forced labor and gas chambers.

<comment><USER18> How do you feel reading the papers today?

<comment><USER17> Pretty good. The only countries that seem to be doing the same today are North Korea and, to some extent, ISIS. Neither are from our culture so our ability to exert change is limited.

<comment><USER19> The US prisson system comes to mind ... completely ridiculous comparison, I know

<comment><USER20> The difference is that post-war Germany was very much confronted with the gravity of what Nazi-Germany had done.

The US hasn't had that in more than 100 years.

<comment><USER19> The irony is, germany was controlled by the allies then, including the US, the ones whose population you just called ignorant, that watches movies about prostitutes' escapedes or war glorification.</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment>


On hacking your ADD - <AUTHOR>

Of those of you afflicted with ADD/ADHD tendencies during your normal working day, how do you deal? For instance, when you're required to read a manual, or some other mind-numbing task, what are your tricks for getting it done? <comment><USER2> First of all, I use Google and all their goodness (Docs, Calendar, Gmail, etc.) This saves me from loosing my schedule (because it's just "up there" in the "cloud").

I have task lists and spreadsheets that monitor task activity (for instance, pages/day read since start date).

Task lists are ordered by priority. Days since start date is monitored, too. I use color code (red = DO IT, NOW!).

I set up queues (e.g., reading list queue).

Budget's in Google Spreadsheet. Google Calendar is set up to warn me of upcoming dates (e.g., recurring payments like rent).

Task list is conceptually different from Calendar. Tasks are either urgent or can wait a bit (depends on priority). Calendar is for what you have decided you will do, and in what order. Setting up some time to plan your next day is crucial for efficiency.

I also have a small statue of Saint Rita in front of me, on my desk. I'm not Catholic. She stands for "Ritalin", but you might like to know she's the "patroness of impossible cases". ;-) She's a reminder. (<http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=205>)

BTW, if you're having trouble with mind-numbing tasks, you are probably under- medicated. Talk to a specialist in _adult_ ADD/ADHD.

For study material, I am currently setting up a database for it, retrievable by software, with metadata description (this is for theorems, etc). Again, I use Google's resources, because you cannot _not_ find Google. :-) I'm also beginning to experiment with some memory techniques - I read about SuperMemo the other day and also a thing with labels and calendar dates.

You might choose to inform work partners and family you have ADD/ADHD. Educate people. If people don't hear about ADD/ADHD, they will think somebody with it is either lazy or stupid (if your ADHD/ADD is out of control), because you get so side-tracked but research shows there's no correlation with IQ. Let them know you've got this condition. You got it anyway. It's not nice, it's not good, it's not a badge of honor, but it's who you are. So the fuck with it. They don't like it, they're prejudiced? Me, I don't give a fuck. I've achieved some things most people haven't and will never - this, besides my condition. Nobody can take those things away from me.

Also, have a good night's sleep. Ritalin doesn't work well if you're too tired. Learn to let go. Life was tough enough for you, you don't need to torture yourself. Take it easy.

<comment><USER2> Oh, I forgot to say. Ambient noise can really get to me. So, if I'm studying or performing some mental task in a public place that's noisy, I'll use my iPod - but with NO MUSIC.

At first I used to listen to a lot of Bach - but I found I was concentrating on music, and not the task.

Then, I used pink noise (you can buy pink noise soundtracks on the web), but now I've switched to using binaural beats (probably just placebo effect, but it's less boring than listening to rain and water soundtracks for a prolonged period of time...).

<comment><AUTHOR> That's interesting - I find myself using music to 'regulate' myself a lot. Usually I'm able to let it exist in the background, but when I start paying attention to the lyrics, I switch to Bach, or Mozart. Rachmaninoff is a nice blend of keeping me awake, but without lyrics I end up listening to.

I've actually never been medicated, but I've always had problems with tasks that I wasn't intensely interested in. Always been a daydreamer. I don't think I've ever read an entire textbook, for instance. I'll force myself to concentrate and slog through a paragraph, just to find my mind is in some other world by the end of it and have to reread it. I don't have this problem at all with fiction, I've finished 700 page novels in a few days.

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely bring this up in my next visit to the doctor.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER3> Stablish goals (like reading one full chapter before a break).

Take small breaks. Even 5 minutes help.

Be interested in the task.

Drink water. Dehydration reduces concentration and will make your situation worse.</comment>


Could 'cyborg' cockroaches help in nuclear disasters? - <AUTHOR> http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33364938

<comment><USER2> Is there any situation that's not improved by adding cyborg cockroaches?</comment>


Hidden Vulnerability Discovered in the World's Airline Network - <AUTHOR> http://www.technologyreview.com/view/526486/hidden-vulnerability-discovered-in-the-worlds-airline-network/?utm_campaign=socialsync&utm_medium=social-post&utm_source=facebook

<comment><USER2> I think the paper is incorrect. According to the summary:

"An example is St Petersburg airport in Tampa Bay, Florida. This has 24 connections and only 24 flights. Close this airport and the airports it connects to are all cut out of the global network."

St. Pete/Clearwater (PIE) airport is a destination airport for low-cost carriers. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Petersburg%E2%80%93Clearwat...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Petersburg%E2%80%93Clearwater_International_Airport) lists some of the places it connects to. I count 34 destinations on the map.

#1 with 27,000 passengers is Gulfport-Biloxi International (GPT). According to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulfport- Biloxi_International_A...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulfport- Biloxi_International_Airport) , 147,910 fly from GPT to Atlanta.

#10 with 18,000 passengers is Blue Grass Airport (LEX). According to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Grass_Airport](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Grass_Airport), there are 139,460 passengers who fly from LEX to Atlanta.

In fact, all of #1-#10 also fly to Atlanta, except Tri-State Airport in West Virginia. That one has flights toDetroit Metro. I spot checked a couple of others not on the top-10 list to verify that there aren't 24 disconnected airports in the list of destinations.

Thus, I don't see 24 connections which would be cut-off should PIE be closed.

To check if the summary made a mistake, the preprint says:

> Most airports in the first category have really few connections but some of > them are busy airports having a significant number of connections to and > from cut-o ff regions, and hence we call them peripheral hubs. For instance, > St. Petersburg Airport, Tampa Bay, Florida, is a huge tourist destination > consisting of 24 connections and no clustering.

Tampa Bay is a huge tourist destination, agreed. But most people fly into Tampa airport, which is 16 km to the east. Tampa deals with some 17 million passengers per year, while PIE is around 900,000.

I just don't see how the St Petersburg airport is so important.</comment>